Wanda Coleman: April 14, 1985

The recording opens near the end of Frances Mayes' introduction of Wanda Coleman. Coleman begins by speaking to the notion that performance of poetry has begun taking place in Los Angeles due to the proximity of Hollywood, and mentions her recent spoken word recordings, one an LP paired with Exene Cervenka from the Los Angeles band X, and the books she will be reading from. She then performs her poems "Coffee," "Where I Live," "Midnight Carries Me South Along Illusion Avenue," "Son of A," "Drone," and "Accounts Payable," from Mad Dog Black Lady. She then reads "Doctor's Report," "Office Politics," "Under Arrest," "Felon," and "Tis Morning Makes Mother A Killer," from Imagoes. Coleman concludes with a few as yet unpublished poems, including a poem beginning "The failed revolt of 1822...," "They'll Starve You," and "The Laying Down Blues."